Army boost for Wales U19

Corporal Gerwyn Taylor, 29, who hails from Porth in the Rhondda, has been appointed Team Liaison Officer for the Welsh youngsters for the tournament and has secured the top class Thiepval Barracks as the team’s training base.

Cpl Taylor, who joined the Army in 1998 and has served in Germany, Oman and Kosovo, is currently based at Thiepval, the Northern Ireland Defence headquarters. A Combined Services and Ulster senior league referee, he volunteered to act as a liaison officer.

“I’ve taken some time off work to be with the boys and hope they enjoy their time here in Northern Ireland. It’s been great to be able to secure the use of the pitches at Thiepval Barracks because it means the other Welsh guys at the base can come down and watch the team train,” said Cpl Taylor.

The training facilities have been given the thumbs up by the Wales U19 team management with both Manager Darryl Hill and Coach Justin Burnell singing Thiepval’s praises.

Burnell, meanwhile, claims the tournament opener against the young All Blacks is “crucial for the development of the game in Wales”.

“This opening game against New Zealand is a fantastic opportunity to test ourselves against the best in the world at age group level,” he said. “It is a crucial game for us. If we don’t come away with at least a bonus point it will be very difficult to progress into the top four.

“We are going into the unknown with regards to the opposition, but we do know that there is no such thing as a bad New Zealand team at whatever level.

“Our academy system is producing players who are bigger, fitter and stronger than ever before, but it is only when you play the best nations in the world that you get a real measure of where we are in the world game.”

Ospreys centre Nick Harwood has flown to Belfast to take his place on the bench for Wales as a replacement for Luke Hathaway, who suffered an ankle injury in training.

The game will be televised by BBC 2 Northern Ireland and available to viewers in the UK via the red button on the digital platform or on the BBC NI channel.

Wales U19 v New Zealand U19
Daniel Evans (Llanelli/Scarlets)
Jimmy Norris (Bedwas/Dragons)
Luke Ford (Wanderers/Blues)
Rhys Williams (UWIC/Scarlets)
Leigh Halfpenny (Neath/Ospreys)
Gareth Owen (Maesteg/Ospreys)
Rhys Webb (Bridgend/Ospreys)
Ryan Bevington (Bridgend/Ospreys)
Huw Dowden (Beddau/Blues)
Patrick Palmer (Llantrisant/Blues)
Nathan White (Bridgend/Ospreys)
 Josh Turnbull (Llanelli/Scarlets)
Sam Warburton (Capt, Wanderers/Blues)
Nicholas Cudd (Tumble/Scarlets)
Lloyd Phillips (Narberth/Scarlets)

Replacements (from)
Ben Roberts (Ebbw Vale/Dragons)
Lloyd Elliott (Ospreys)
Phillip Price (Bridgend Athletic/Ospreys)
Haydn Pugh (Llangennech/Scarlets)
Jevon Groves (Cardiff/Blues)
 Jonathan Griffiths (Glynneath / Ospreys)
Gareth Williams (Wanderers/Blues)
David Langdon (Ebbw Vale/Dragons)
Tom Williams (Bridgend/Ospreys)
Nicholas Harwood (Bonymaen/Ospreys),
James Egan (Cardiff/Blues)